Cie sits on Agent B’s front porch, feeling safe enough to be outside without someone with her now that the men have been taken into government custody. It’s sunset, and she watches as the golden streaks of sunlight slip behind the buildings to the west of her.

“I wonder what the Supernova that emerges whenever the sun dies will be like.” Cie mutters as she stares at the sunset.

The door opens behind her and Agent O steps outside.

“Good gosh kid, you’re going to destroy your eyes.” Agent O says and Cie turns her sharp green eyes on him.

“Did you just call me ‘kid’?” She asks, a smirk tugging at her lips.

Agent O swears under his breath.

“I’m sorry. I just, you looked like someone for a minute. And then I remembered who I was talking to.” He sighs, his voice deflating and Cie tilts her head to the side.

“Who?”

“What?” Agent O asks.

“Who did I look like?” Cie repeats.

“Don’t worry about it, Cie.”

“I’m not your first charge?” Cie asks and Agent O sighs.

“No. No you’re not. I honestly don’t know why the government gave me such a high-value target. My last charge was sniped by the Never-Aging Assassin. The blasted Russian sniper got her with a headshot. I couldn’t save her.” Agent O huffs, wiping at his eyes fiercely.

Cie’s eyes soften.

“I’m sorry, O. You never talk about your past. You’re always Mr. Mysterious, so I never know what to think about you. What to say to you.”

“Yeah, well. It’s part of the job. Her name was Cicelia. I don’t know. Maybe assigning you to me was a jab at me, for failing at my job so spectacularly. You have remarkably similar names.”

Cie feels a white-hot anger whip through her.

“That’s just cruel if the government did that on purpose.”

“It is what it is, Cie.” Agent O shrugs and Cie inhales deeply.

Agent O cocks his head at the Supernova.

“What are you doing?”

“I’m taking a deep breath. I’ve heard it calms down humans.”

Agent O cracks a rare smile.

“I’m not sure that’s going to work for you.”

Cie shoots a glare at Agent O and sighs before a smile forms on her face as well.

“So… What was she like? What did she look like? How old was she?” Cie asks and Agent O sighs as he sits down beside Cie on the porch.

“She- She liked watching the sunset. She had short brown hair, like yours, but you know, without the green bangs. She was seventeen when that- that-“ Agent O cuts off suddenly and swears profusely as he stands up.

“That Never-Aging Sniper. If I ever see her. I-“ Agent O cuts off and huffs.

“I need a smoke.” He sighs.

“You never smoke.” Cie frowns.

“I quit. Years ago. She hated when I smoked. Said it would kill me one day.” Agent O mutters as he pulls a package out of his back pocket.

“Why was she under protection, anyways?” Cie asks.

“Back in the early nineties, Cicelia was a whiz kid. She could do anything she set her mind to. Build a computer? Yeah, she could do that. Computers weren’t as fancy as they are now, but boy, she could build one. She was a genius. Like you. She spit out complex theories and advanced our nuclear weapons. I guess whoever the Never-Aging Sniper was working for thought she was too much of a threat to them. I don’t think she was working for Russia at that time. The Soviet Union had fallen back then. I was only 25, and I was given charge of that little genius kid. She was only under my care for about five months before she got sniped.” Agent O says, lighting a cigarette using a small lighter.

Cie is silent for a moment, her mind running at twice its normal speed.

“If you stopped smoking for her, I recommend you don’t start again.” Cie says and Agent O glances down at her.

“You used to smoke back in the forties, I’ve heard.”

“I tried one cig. Okay? And it was horrible. It felt like lighting my insides on fire. I could tolerate it when I didn’t breathe, but other than that, it sucked.”

Agent O shrugs and Cie opens her mouth to speak but seems to change her mind.

“Have you ever lost someone, Cie?” Agent O asks, past the cigarette as he exhales a puff of smoke.

“I mean, I watched as scientists came and went from Area 51. I guess a lot of them died of old age. Or…Other things.”

“That’s the life of a secret scientist or a secret agent. Most of us die by other means than old age. Like that blasted sniper.”

Cie swallows thickly, and turns to look at Agent O.

“Hey, O-“ She begins, but she’s cut off as a green car pulls up outside the house, and then a pink-haired teenage girl steps out of the car, waving goodbye to the other person driving the car.

The car drives off after the girls shuts the car door, and Cie stands up.

“Serene! It’s been a few weeks!” Cie exclaims as she jogs over to the pink-haired girl.

Serene’s emerald green eyes light up at the sight of Cie.

“Your hair has gotten longer.” Serene says, and Cie extends a hand, running it through Serene’s long pink hair.

“My hair? Look at your hair! It’s like a full two inches longer than last time I saw you, it has to be.”

Serene laughs and then she notices Agent O.

“When did you start smoking?” She asks.

“Just thought I’d pick it back up.” Agent O shrugs.

“You wouldn’t believe the day we’ve had.” Cie tells her Hispanic friend, switching subjects, and Serene cocks an eyebrow.

“Really? And I thought seeing Agent O smoking would be the shocker tonight.”

“Cie, why don’t you two head on inside? Introduce Serene to the others.”

“Others?” Serene asks, and Cie grabs her arm.

“Yeah. Others.” She leads Serene into the house.

They enter the living room, and find Agent B is sitting on the couch, watching a movie with Poison curled up in her lap.

“Hey, Serene.” Agent B says as she turns to face her, nursing her bruised face with an icepack.

“What happened to your face?” Serene gasps and Agent B laughs softly.

“Oh, you know. Some guys came after Cie and decided we’d be the best way to get to her. I put up a fight and got pretty beat up. I need to polish my fighting skills.”

Serene glances at Cie, who shrugs.

“I didn’t antagonize anyone this time.” She says and Agent B shakes her head.

“She didn’t. They were hired to get her.”

“By who?” Serene asks, and Agent B sighs.

“Oh, right. Not supposed to say?” Serene asks and Agent B gives her finger guns.

“You’ve got that right.”

“So, who are these others?” Serene asks, and Agent B nods.

“They’re in the basement with Mag.”

Cie nods and leads Serene to the basement. They trot down the stairs, and find themselves in the basement, where Serene’s mouth drops open.

“Woah. Why did the government give Agent B three more charges?”

“That would be Cie’s fault.” Mag says, not even looking up from his beaker he’s experimenting with.

Serene crosses her arms across her chest and frowns at Cie.

“What did you do?”

Cie groans.

“Thanks a lot, Mag. Now Momma Serene is on my case.”

“Cie.” Serene warns and Cie sighs.

“Okay, okay. I tried to build a portal machine to escape from Eart-“

“You did what?!” Serene exclaims.

“Serene, it’s fine. I-“

“It is not fine!” Serene says, frustration evident in her voice.

“Well, no one died!” Cie huffs.

“And that makes it fine? Cie, do you even listen to yourself sometimes?!”

“I absolutely do! I’m the only person who listens to me.” Cie mutters the last sentence, hugging herself as she does so.

Serene sighs.

“So, what are your names?” She asks, turning to look at the three who are still strangers to her, and Daisy grins.

“I’m Daisy Toronto.”

“Oh great, we’re doing introductions again? I’m Timothy Time.” Timothy says, rolling his eyes.

“I’m Princess Octavia Soprano.” Octavia says, her voice prim.

“Wow. Great, you’ve kidnapped a princess. Wonderful job Cie.” Serene says as she looks at Cie unhappily.

“Who knows what their families are thinking right now? They’re probably freaking out, worried sick about them!” Serene continues.

“Actually, I’m an orphan.” Daisy says.

“As am I.” Timothy says.

“I am too. That’s so intriguing, neither of us have parents. It’s like we’re meant to be.” Octavia says, cuddling up against Timothy.

Timothy makes a face and pulls away from her. There’s a fire in his eyes, and he glares at her.

“Don’t. Touch. Me.” He snarls, and Octavia’s pink eyes widen.

Timothy opens a portal and appears on the other side of Mag, as Mag experiments with his concoction, trying to ignore the commotion. Mag jumps in surprise, and almost knocks over the beaker. Timothy catches the beaker, and puts it back on the table in front of Mag. He whispers something to Mag, and Octavia shoots dagger eyes at Mag before she stomps out of the room, up the basement stairs. Once she slams the door shut, everyone except for Timothy exhales a sigh. Timothy pulls up another stool next to Mag’s and helps Mag work on the salmon-colored concoction.

“Octavia was the princess of the city I grew up in. She had a really rough time from the news I heard on the streets. Last I’d heard, she was kidnapped by an assassin. That assassin murdered her parents. Rumor had it she and the assassin fell in love. The assassin killed her ex, a prince from another city and was caught. He was beheaded.” Daisy says.

“Great. She’s nuts. I figured that much out.” Cie sighs.

“Yes indeed.” Timothy agrees.

“Anything she does is on you Cie. You brought her here. You’ve got to get her back to her planet.” Serene says, and Cie’s shoulders slump.

“I know. But my portal machine already failed once. And then it burned up my lab. Agent O will never let me build another portal machine.” She says, and Serene puts a hand on Cie’s shoulder.

“When has that ever stopped you before?”